Tobacco stemming and booking machine.



J. T. McCLOSKEY.

TOBACCO STEMMING AND BOOKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 21, ms. RENEWED OCT. 27. I916.

1,214,336. Patented Jan. 30,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. T. McCLOSKEY.

TOBACCO STEMMING AND BOOKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, I915. RENEWED 00121. 1916.

1,214,386. 7 Patented Jan. 30,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. T. IVlcCLOSKEY.

TOBACCO STEMMING AND BOOKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27. 19x5. RENEWED 00121, 1916.

1,214,336. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

33 32 E \V 1 J33. {3 355 7 f 1/ I) [3 {6' -1 g? 21 M i M 75 7 g 2 53 Z ,Z Z6 29' Z WTTTED gi ls JOHN '1. MCCLOSKEY, 'OF DAYTON, OHIO.

TOBACCO 'STEMMING AND BOOKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1915, Serial No. 17,437. Renewed October 27, 1916. Serial No. 128,118.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN T. MoGLosKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco Stem ming and Booking Machines; and I do declarc the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tobacco stemming and booking machines and comprises certain improvements of the machine shown and described in my former patent dated Nov. '10, 1911,110. 1,116,719.

The objects of the present invention are, briefly; to provide improved means for actuating the cutting mechanism, to provide improved means for lowering the table which receives the accumulated tobacco leaves as they are stemmed, and to provide other improvements hereinafter described and claimed which cooperate in rendering the mechanism simple in construction and eflicient in operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved tobacco stemming and booking machine; Fig. 2 is a section on the line a-a of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line b-?) of Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is a detail view of the means for actuating the table; and Figs. and 6 are views of modified forms of the cutting means.

The frame structure may, of course, vary. In the drawings, 1 and 2 represent suitable side members constituting the frame upon which is mounted a top frame 3, rectangular in form and provided with an opening which receives the table sections 4:. The table sections a are provided with longitudinal marginal ribs 5 and are united by end cross ribs 6 so that said table sections move as a unit during the operation of the machine. Extending downwardly from said tables 4 are posts 7, one at each of the four corners, which posts enter tubular guides 8 on cross members 9 supported from the un- "der side of "the top frame Surrounding the posts '7 are springs .10 which exert an upward force on the tables 4. Extending between the longitudinal edges of said tables at and mounted on the top plate 3 are two parallel stemming knives 11 which are separated a sufiicient distance apart to economically sever astem from a leaf of tobacco Each leaf of'tobacco to be stemmed is placed on the tables 1 with the stem lying between the knives 11. The leaf is initially held in such position by clamping fingers 12 mounted on shafts 13 journaled in bearings 14 secured to the top frame 3. The clamping fingers 12 move together and lie on opposite sides of the knives. The shafts 13 thereof are provided with crank arms 14: from which rods 15 extend downwardly and connect to a cross rod 16. The cross rod 16 is connected to downwardly extending rods 17 which are in turn connected at .their lower ends to a lever 18 pivoted on a shaft 19 and provided with a pedal .20. The lever 18 is in the rear of a similar lever27 as appears in Fig. 2. B .pressing the pedal 20 with th foot, the fingers 12 lower to engage the pointed end of the leaf of tobacco and maintain said end in position on the tables and over the knives, while the remainder of the leaf is spread out by the hands of the operator in a position with the stem lying between the knives. The clamping fingers 12 are lowered by the foot but are elevated by springs 21 which surround the shafts 13 and by a spring 22 which extends upwardly from the lever '18. The spring 22 is in the rear of a similar spring 29 as appears in Fig. 2. The fingers 12 may be mounted either at the end of the tables as shown in the drawings, or at the side of the tables without interfering with their operation. To compel the initial lowering of the fingers 12, the pedal '28 is provided with a projection 29 which is adapted to engage the pedal 20 when said pedal 20 is not lowcred. To maintain the remaining portion of the leaf on the tables during the cutting operation, booking clamps 23 are provided. These clamps 23 comprise suitably shaped plates which are mounted on pivotal shafts 2 L journaled in bearings on the top frame '3 and open outwardly. The shafts 24 are provided with crank arms 25 from which rods 26 downwardly extend and connect at their lower ends to the lever 27 pivoted on the shaft 19 and provided with a peda128 similar to the pedal 20. The leaf clamps 23 are depressed by'the Jfoot through the pedal 28 but ar elevated by the spring 29 extending upwardly from the lever 27. The clamping fingers 12 and the booking clamps 23 are held in their lowered positions in engagement with the leaf by the shoulders 49 of upright rods 50. The rods 50 are pivotally secured to the ends of the levers 18 and 27, and the shoulders 49 are adapted to engage the edge 51 of a cross member 52 supported by the frames 1 and 2. The said shoulders 49 are held in engagement with the edge 51 by plate springs 53 wien the clamping fingers 12 and booking clamps 2 3 are depressed. The means for detaching or releasing the said shoulders 49 from the edge 51 will be hereinafter described.

After the leaf of tobacco has been properly placed upon the tables 4 and knives 11 and is held securely in position by the clamps 12 and 23, the stem is severed from the leaf by the following means: Adapted to roll over the cutting edges of the knives 11 are rollers 30 mounted in the frame 31 on the lower end of vertically slidable stems 32. The stems 32 are mounted in a frame 33 on the end of a reciprocable rack 34. The rollers 30 are pressed downwardly on the knives by springs 35 which lie within the frame 33 and surround the stems 32. To prevent the rollers 30 rotating with the stems 32 as pivots, pins 36 are provided which extend downwardly from the frame 33 and engage the frame 31 to maintain said frame in position. The rack 34 is mounted in a guide 37 secured to a cross plate 38 extending from brackets 39 mounted on the top frame 3. The said rack 34 is of a length sufficient to permit the rollers 30 to traverse substantially the length of the knives 11 in stemming each leaf, and the said rack is reciprocated as follows: A drive gear 41 is in mesh with the teeth 40 thereof, said gear 41 being mounted on a shaft 42 journaled in bearings 43 extending from the under side of the cross plate 38. Mo mted on one end of the shaft 42 is a pinion 44 in mesh with an oscillating rack 45 slidably mounted in a rocking guide 46 journaled on the shaft 42. The lower end of the rack 45 is connected to a crank 47 mounted on one end of a shaft 48 journaled in the side frames 1 and 2. The shaft 48 is the main drive shaft of the machine and makes one complete revolution at each operation of severing the stem from the leaf. Each rotation of the shaft 48 will reciprocate the rack 45 which in turn will rock the shaft 42 and the gear 41, thereby reciprocating the rack 34 and thus move the rollers 30 over the knives 11. The shaft 48 is provided with a cam 54 which is adapted to engage the upper ends of the rods 50 to disengage the shoulders 49 from the edge 51 of the cross bar 52, thereby permitting the springs 22 and 29 to elevate the finger clamps 12 and booking clamps 23. This operation takes place after the rollers 30 have severed the stem from the leaf. After the stems are removed from the leaves, the remaining por- 'i tions are not removed from the tables 4 but are booked upon said tables, that is, the leaf portions accumulate on the tables one on top of the other until a pile of a certain thickness is booked.

To permit the leaves to be engaged by the knives during the cutting operations, the tables 4 are depressed to accommodate the accumulating leaf portions. The tables 4 are depressed by the following means: Pivotally connected to the flanges 5 of the tables are links 55 which in turn are connected to cranks 56 mounted on a rock shaft 57 journaled in the side frames 1 and 2. The shaft 57 is provided with an elongated crank arm 58 which extends to the forward end of the machine on one side thereof where it may be grasped by the operator. The crank 58 is instrumental in enabling the operator to elevate and lower the tables 4 manually, but the said tables are subject to depression automatically by the following means: Mounted on the shaft 57 on the side opposite the crank 58 is a. ratchet 59 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 60 mounted upon a lever 61 journaled on the shaft 57, shown in Fig. 4. The lever 61 is provided with an extension 62 adapted to be engaged by a pin 63 carried upon a gear 64 pivoted at 65 to the frame 1. The

lever 61 is rocked in one direction by the pin 63 and is moved in the other direction by a spring 81 attached to said lever and to the frame 3. The gear 64 is adapted to be engaged by a one-toothed gear 66 mounted upon the main drive shaft 48. At each revolution of the shaft 48, the gear 64 is rotated to the extent of one of its teeth and when said gear 64 makes a complete revolution the pin 63 will engage the extended end 62 of said lever 61 and will thereby permit the pawl 60 to partially rotate the ratchet 59, rock the shaft 57 and depress the tables 4 through the agency of the cranks 56 and links 55. The extent of movement imparted to the lever 61 and ratchet 59 by the pin 63 may be adjusted by a screw 79 mounted in a bracket 80 extending from the frame 1. The screw 79 is provided with a. suitable lock nut that engages the upper side of the lever 61 thereby limiting the downward movement of the extension 62. The extent of depression of the tables 4 at each operation will be commensurate with the thickness of the pile or book of leaves. In other words, on each depression of the tables the gear 64 will be rotated an amount corresponding to the thickness of the pile of leaves previously booked thereon, thus lowering the tables at the completion of each book of leaves. The ratchet 59 is provided with a retaining pawl 67 pivoted at 68 to the frame 1 and maintained in engagement with the ratchet by a spring 69. The lever 61 may be actuated manually by a handle portion 70 which extends to the front of the machine in a position convenient to the operator. The pawls (30 and 67 may be disengaged from the ratchet 59 by a finger lever 71 pivoted at 72 to the lever 61. The lever 71 is connected to the retaining pawl 67 by a flexible con nection 7 3 and to the pawl 60 by a bar 74. The tables 1 may be depressed manually in the event that they are not depressed to a sufficient extent automatically, by depressing the handle 7 O of the lever 61, when the pawl 60 will. partially rotate the ratchet, or said tables may be depressed by pressing downwardly upon the elongated arm 58. \Vhen it is desired to elevate the tables, the pawls 60 and 67 may be disengaged from the ratchet 59 by pressing upwardly upon the finger lever 71 at which time the tables may be freely elevated by moving the elongated arm 58 upwardly.

As before stated, the machine may be actuated manually or driven by power. In the present case, I have shown a shaft 48 provided with a gear 75 to which power may be transmitted from any suitable form of motor. In Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown two modified forms of cutting mechanisms. In Fig. 5, they consist of rotating cutters 76 carried by the frame 31. In this modification, the cutters 76 rotate over a surface or elongated lock 77 which is preferably made of zinc and is mounted between the tables similar to the mounting of the knives 11. In the machine constructed according to Fig. 1, it is contemplated that the severed stem will fall between the knives 11, but in the construction shown'in Fig. 6, I have shown the space between the knives 11 occupied by an elongated block 78 in which. event the severed stems are removed by the hand of the operator. The elongated strip or block 78 gradually tapers at one end and the knives gradually converge at one end, for example, the end where the point of the leaf lies. when in position on the knives. This is desirable in order to cut the leaf as close to the stem as possible throughout the length of the leaf. In high grades of tobacco, this is desirable in order to avoid cutting away with the stem more of the leaf than is necessary.

Having described my invention, I claim.

1. In a machine of the type specified, in combination, a table upon which leaves of tobacco are stemmed and booked, a reciprocable cutter movable across said table in stemming said leaves, means for actuating said cutter, clamping fingers adapted to initially engage said leaves preparatory to being spread in a stemming and booking position, means for actuating said clamping fingers to their holding positions, and means actuated by the cutter actuating means for releasing said fingers from their holding positions, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the type specified, in combination, a table upon which tobacco leaves are stemmed and booked, a reciproeating cutter movable across said table, clamping members for initially holding said leaves in position to be spread upon said table, booking clamps for engaging said leaves when spread upon the table, means for actuating said cutter including a rack, a main drive shaft, oscillating gears interposed between the rack and said drive shaft, and means for releasing the initial holding clamps at the conclusion of each stemming operation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

J OI-IN T. MGCLOSKEY.

Witnesses R. J. MOCARTY, MATTHEW SIEBLER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

